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As I read the prospectus of the Civic League's boys' and 
girls' garden competilion and drinlf in the bounteousness of its 
promise, I am tempted to put into words — for the interested 
boys and girls — some of my thoughts born of the experience 
of years spent under the influence of beautiful gardens, and 
just such v>or}( as this contest is going to create here in 
Omaha. 

If I Tvere an Omaha boy or girl I j^non* mhat I would do, 
and as the season is already far advanced, I will be brief in 
telling it, for many of the seeds that are to be sowed should be 
swelling in the moist earth at this moment. First of all, I 
would see that my father and mother read the preamble and 
rules, and sanctioned my entering the contest; then I would 
consider well the time and strength that would be needed, and 
if I felt a bit doubtful on the subject I would get my friends 
to help; next I would mal^e out and mail the application with 
a rough little sl(etch of my home lot just as it is today to the 
Secretary at the City National banl^ building. If the house, 
fence, etc., needed painting, I would try to get my father to 
have them painted. Then I would examine very carefully the 
actual ground to be worthed upon, and if it were hard and 
clayey, it might have to be plowed, and perhaps fertilized. 

I Would get someone who has a nice garden to loo^ at it, 
and advise me about this, and most certainly I would talie his 
or her advice; then I would thinlf well about the actual wort^, 
for I Would need to decide in what way I could improve it to 
the Very best advantage. Of course, if there were no good 
grass, that should be the first thing to thinl( of, and I would 
have just as much of the space in front of the house in grass 
as I could. Sodding is the best Way to get it, but if that Would 
cost more than I could put into it, I would seed it. Again I 
would get advice, or if I could not get any, I would spade 
and ra\e and wor]( the ground until it was nice and fine and 
without big lumps; then I would get white clover and blue grass 
seed and oats, to one part blue grass, one-eighth clover and 
one-fourth oats, and sow the mixture all over the space pre- 
pared, spreading it as evenly as possible, and ralfing it under 
lightly with great care. If I could borrow a roller I would 
roll it, and if not, I would lay a flat board on it and wall( on 
the board until it pressed the soil down, and I would do this 
all over the seeded part. I would be careful to water it reg- 
ularly and thoroughly through a sprinl^ler, and the best time to 
Water it Would be in the evening. 

The oats would come up first and shade the tender little 
grass shoots until they were able to stand the sun, and it will 
not need to be cut until I have time to write you another' letter. 
Of course, I would decide upon the general plan of my garden 
and thinly out the various features which were to mal(e it so 
lovable. I would visit the Public Library and consult the shelf 
of boo^s on garden subjects that the Library has selected and 
placed in the reference room for the benefit of the contestants. 
I Would discover that the word "garden" did not mean merely 
a dug-up piece of ground with the flowers or vegetables all 
planted in rows or beds, but that the whole lot when made 
a thing of beauty with grass and trees and shrubs and flowers 
Was a "garden." 

Next I would try to consider the essentials of a garden — 
its "purpose," in other Words. Town gardens are first and 




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N- !• Jnp. Ibflrberry and ottier loui ihrubi*. N-2= Crim- 
son Rambler, Clematis P«ni'cu(at~n, , ond Halls l^o^eysucK- 
le+ N-3= Li V' iei of- llTe ooHey end Ponsiei+ N-4" t"erns. 
_ and Col»-<n>bin& in Oorlery ; l7i.|, gourd i, Qr>d TTlorniviq — 
Cjlorie.s on fent*;-i- N^5=Lilac^ j iy rinc^Qi, Ueiqtflaj , ondotnfr 
ahrubjJ- N-6= Plum or Crab Apiole-f N-7"Tr«;ei -^or — 
5V>Qde+ Kl-8= LocO groio'i-nq [slq-nfi. Qs Pflconies, etc.+N-9= 
5ua€et~Pco5 and other annual 0'mej+ K-IO= C^rajiei onlatt1ice+ 



foremost a setting for a house, and its character, and its posi- 
tion on the lot must govern the treatment of the garden. If 
the house stands near the street, in the middle of the lot, or 
io one side, or if the laten is on the north or south side of the 
house, these things must direct the garden's development, for 
one reould have, as the case ma^ be, more or less space for 
the garden, and more or less shade or sunlight. I will add a 
little suggestive plan to mp letter. I would l^eep the center of 
mp lawn open and plant an irregularly outlined shrubbery on 
its sides. I would plant the highest bushes at the bacl(, the 
lower-growing ones in front of these, and on the edges I would 
plant perennials — the old-fashioned hard^ garden flowers which 
live in the ground all winter, such as paeonies, phlox, iris, hardy 
chrysanthemums, etc. If I could not get many perennials this 
first year, I would get as many as I could, and then I would 
use annuals, the flowers We raise from seed, as fillers. They 
Would be cheap and easy to plant, and so delightful when 
they bloomed. Besides, mother could cut flowers all through 
the summer for the house, for the more they are cut the better 
they bloom, and I Would choose poppies, candytuft, mignonette, 
marigolds, zinnias, asters, nasturtiums, petunias, cosmos and 
Verbenas. These are all easy to raise and may be bought for 
five cents a pacl^et. 

If there were trees on the place I would see if they did not 
need trimming, and if so, have them trimmed immediately to 
guide their growth and to let in light and air, and I would trim 
them Very carefully and as little as possible, for it is rather 
late and the sap is running. If there were no trees, or at best, 
only a few poor ones, I would manage to get some and plant 
them just as soon as possible. If they were for shade I would 
plant them where the shade would be most wanted. Of course, 
if the shade came on the west side of the house it Would malfe 
the house cool on hot summer afternoons and be much belter 
than if it fell on my new lawn, which never does so well in the 
shade as in the sun. As to the Jfind of shade trees, I might 
have to tal^e whatever I could get, but if not, I vould try to> 
avoid soft woods, which are short-lived and cannot withstand 
severe winds. I would try for an elm or a walnut. Maybe I 
could get a nice little fruit tree, an apple, plum or cherry, which 
Would go where its beautiful blossoms would help in the spring 
effects, and its fruit would be useful in the autumn. I thinl( 
I would not plant a peach, because Omaha winters are lil^ely 
to Ifill it, but I would lil^e very much to plant a Lombardy pop- 
lar toward the rear somewhere to lift the sl^yline in my gar- 
den picture. 

Here are a few of the principles which I memorized early 
and tried to practice all my life: "More grass and less gravel, 
more flowers and less bare soil, more curves and fewer straight 
lines and angles, more hardy and not so many half-hardy 
plants, more arrangement and less disorder, more shrubs." 

I Wouldn't try to do too much at first. I am perfectly sure 
that the jury which would judge my garden would consider 
the thoroughness and seriousness of my worif rather than the 
elaborateness of my garden design. I would try always to 
avoid the startling, freal^ish things, and endeavor to \eep my 
garden simple. I thinly I would try to learn the full meaning 
of the word "fitness." I would submit every garden scheme that 
tempted me to that test word, and then if it passed the examina- 



tion I would analyze it a little further; for instance, vhen I 
decided upon the varieties of trees to plant, I tpould consider 
those that vtere appropriate for a tovm lot, and the next step 
would be to consider if the trees were for shade, screens or 
shelter, or all three purposes. Evergreen trees which grow to 
any size are rarely suitable for the small town lot, they tal(e 
up too much ground space and are usually too dominating. 
There should be in every garden little spots where the heart 
seems to have had its outpourings of love — specially considered 
and specially tended. IVe'll tallg of those later. 

If the family wanted it, I would provide for a practical 
vegetable garden at the rear of the lot somewhere, as the little 
plan suggests. The home might be only a rented place, but I 
Would try to put the same effort into my garden wor]( that I 
Would if my father owned it, and give my garden the same care, 
for I would realize that I was learning the rudiments of a 
great art, that I was contributing something toward beautify- 
ing my home city and certainly preparing a better home for 
some one who might live there afterward. Moreover, that 
"some one" might be doing the same thing on some other lot 
for me, and, of course, I would not forget thai I was striving 
for that seventy-five dollar prize. 



When I read mjj lasl weelf's letter in the World-Herald I 
realized how much there is to sa}) and how difficult it is to get 
it all said in time if we are to appl^ it to our garden worl^ this 
spring. Fortunatel'^ many things may he done yet if we hasten 
to the worlf. There is still time to plant trees, shrubs and peren- 
nials. When I spolfe of tree trimming I did not say half 
that I should have said and that my loVe for the trees and my 
horror of tree-barbers ma^e me want to be sure not to leave 
unsaid now. Remember that trees are individuals, each one 
has its own shape and manner of growing and should be 
trimmed only in its very own way. Pompadour is the favorite 
ruay of trimming all trees regardless of this, and I am perfectly 
sure that no tree ever lived that felt happy or lool^ed well pom- 
padoured. It is too late for general trimming, so worif in this 
direction should be confined to cutting out the annual crop of 
sprouts and shoots, trimming off the staggling ends of branches 
that have grown too long for the best shape of the whole tree, 
and cutting out all dead wood. When branches are sawed or 
cut it is best to cover the wound with paint or liquid tar. 

I am sure all those who have made a beginning are enthus- 
iastic gardeners — in even a weeJf's time. I was permitted to see 
a letter that one boy wrote and sent with his application. It was 
a revelation of how much a boy might f^ow, and I shall feel no 
longer any hesitancy in saying almost anything, being quite 
sure that I am writing to comprehending, earnest gardeners. The 
garden instinct is not a suddenly acquired quality in any one. It 
is merely a discovery of something long repressed or overlool(ed. 
I am sure that at heart every one loves a garden. With just 
a little worI[, faithfully performed, the most barren lot may be- 
come wondrously beautiful, because a garden is very human, 
in that it returns the love that is given to it. 

In the first letter we tallied about the lawn, which someone 
has happily called the "heart of the garden," and a few general 
principles. Now, let us tallf of a few particulars in garden 
maJfing. We have discussed the proper places for trees, shrubs, 
and perennials, and I thinly we should next consider how to 
plant them. We will spealf specially of the shrubs, the same 
method of planting applying to trees and perennials, varying 
only according to size. They should not be loo large; smaller 
bushes overiaI(e larger ones, which usually suffer a shoclf and 
a set-bacif by being moved. The ground should be carefully 
and thoroughly prepared and loosened to a depth of eighteen 
inches. Shrubs do not require such very rich soil, but if it is 
particularly poor a little fertilizer of some I(ind should be 
worlfed into it. Mal(e the hole large enough for each tree or 
shrub to be planted so that the roots may be spread out 
horizontally, and then place finely pulverized earth immediately 
over them. When the hole is partially filled they should be 
Watered to help to settle the earth, and then as the filling pro- 
ceeds, gently press the ground around the roots with the foot, 
leaving a little loose earth as a final covering. The injured or 
bruised roots should be cut away just above the injury. The 
pruning of the bush depends upon its size and character. 
Advice should be sought in this matter until the new 
gardener becomes experienced. Most bushes are better for a 
little pruning, in fact require it, but a few, lil^e the Pearl Bush, 
cannot tolerate it. All the Ifnowledge necessary for the culti- 
vation of such trees and shrubs as one is lil^ely to plant on a 




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cit\) lot is easily maslered. IVhile the planting is going on, the 
roots of all plants should be protected from the air and sun. If 
they seem dry they should be soal^ed a little while in lualer 
before planting. Be sure not to cramp and overcrorvd. It 
destroys the restfulness of a garden. Bushes which attain the 
height of five or six feet should be planted four or five feet 
apart. I would try to select fragrant bushes for my garden, as 
well as those which are beautiful, and most certainly I would 
plant a fragrant honeysucl(le vine near a window. It would 
be no intrusion, when its sweetness steals into the house, wholly 
unlil(e a thief in the night, for many of the fragrant flowers 
give more bountifully of their sweetness after darl(. Lord 
Bacon in his delightful, quaint old English essay on gardens, 
writes: "And because the breath of flowers is far sweeter in 
the air (where it comes and goes lil^e music) than in the hand, 
therefore nothing is more fit for that delight than to Ifnow what 
be the flowers and plants that do best perfume the air." 

The arrangement of the shrubs will have much to do with 
the artistic effect of the garden. Do not have too large an 
assortment. Have variety in their growth, flowers and foliage, 
but do not strive for a great variety in color, and so confuse 
your garden picture — ^eep it harmonious. Blend your colors 
and remember that while, which is the palest tint of each 
color, merges and blends. Do not let a Japanese quince come 
next to a flowering almond. They bloom at the same time and 
each, quite lovely in itself, can never live in peace with the 
other at blooming time.. The golden, bronze and variegated- 
leaved shrubs add a charm to the garden, but they should b6 
used cautiously, as anything so pronounced may be easily over- 
done and defeat the object of their use — which is to give 
touches of high light in masses of green. One of the easiest 
and most attractive shrubs to plant is the weigela. The com- 
monest variety of it is IVeigela rosa, which has pinl( flowers, 
but I prefer the white IVeigela, and the Weigela Desboisi, 
which is a lovely, soft, deep rose color. These shrubs tempt 
dainty visitors to the garden, for the little ruby-throated hum- 
ming bird may be seen darting and poising airily over the 
flowers, while he slips his little slender bill into their long 
tubes to sip their honey. There are many ways of attracting 
the birds to one's garden, and we will speal( of them at another 
time. Avoid flowers that are magenta in tone. They do not 
blend with other colors, and cause color riots in the garden. As 
you Wander in the city parli;s, study the planting for grouping 
and combinations. Study Nature's way too. Notice that while 
she plants in masses, it is never with sharply defined lines, and 
that one tone melts imperceptibly into another. Notice, too, 
how generously the wild plants share their holdings, as if they 
had discovered the true spirit of ideal community life. Little 
by little one learns to extract l(nowledge that trains one's taste 
until it becomes instinctive to do the right thing. 

Avoid geometrical flower beds on the lawn, for they dis- 
figure it. Keep the garden a unit. It should have parts, but 
these should merge and blend. Soften the angle where the 
house joins the lawn by planting shrubs close to it or vines 
on it. There should be little sequestered nool(s with seats that 
tempt one to drop into them for rest. I will have little slfetches 
of arbors and seats in my next letter. There should be no 





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spot in the garden from J»hich one could see everything in il 
al once. Curiosity is not a sin in a garden — stimulate it! 

Planting the shrubbery^ along the fence conceals the bound- 
ary) of the garden, and gives it the aspect of greater extent. 
And this brings me to the subject of fences. There are three 
general classes according to their purposes — enclosing, division, 
and special. Enclosing fences in towns or cities are those that 
separate the iots from the streets and alleys. On the street 
they should not only protect, hut be ornamental. Division 
fences may be mere markers, or a continuation of the enclosing 
fence with all its functions. In the special class are those for 
special purposes, such as masljing or screening objects, and 
trellises for the support of vines. Fences may be of Wood, 
iron, bric}( or stone, or simply planted hedges. I append some 
sketches of types of fences that are easy to ma}(e. Almost any 
boy with mechanical tendencies can maJ(e most of them. When 
it is necessary to have a tight board fence at the rear or side, 
even that may be made an attractive feature of the garden 
simply by the way in which we saw the boards. 



Then there are the n>a/^s io he consiJereJ. The real im- 
pression of a TvalJi is that of pushing its Tva}; across the open, 
or through the planting, and not that the rval^ was laid first 
and the shrubs and flowers planted afterward and accordingly. 
Be sure when the wal^ has a curve that it is for some apparent 
reason — the planting must account for it, and therefore group 
some shrubs on the inside of the curve if nothing else is there. 
Sometimes the edges ma\) be defined by planting; especially 
with annuals and other flowers that are to be gathered in rainy 
weather. The path may be of board, gravel, bricif or tile, or 
even of stepping stones. In general it should go very directly 
to the object to which it leads, and should always approach the 
object at right angles, and should never be wider than neces- 
sary. Bricli wallas are rather the best of all for inside-the-lol 
lines, and slay and lool^ best laid in herring-bone pattern. One 
advantage of a bricl( wall^ is its peculiarity of taking on the 
loo\ of its surroundings. 

In my first letter I cautioned you against the use of the 
freakish, startling things. I did not mean that you should shun 
the strong and stril(ing effects altogether — one needs focusing 
points — / did mean that you should avoid the grotesque. A 
garden would be monotonous and uninteresting that did not seel( 
to produce variety and contrast. See^ this in color or in form 
effects in the class of things selected, and by massing, having 
quantities of some things, for which your garden may acquire 
some little fame and you the reputation of l(nowing so much 
about the needs of those plants that you will be considered an 
authority. Do not hesitate to go begging for knowledge or 
plants. The greatest joy a true gardener experiences is being 
able to share both. I am sure that many a dream garden is 
destined to become real, and many a boy and girl will find 
that other beautiful things than plants grow in them. 



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Perhaps some of the boys and girls have Ifept the little gar- 
den plan that accompanied my first letter, and I fill asl( them 
to step into that garden and wallf there ivilh me. 

We Tvill enter from the street and notice that the planting 
by the gate gives the entrance a homey, cosy looli iphich comes, 
I thinly, from irvo causes: one probably because the planting 
seems to part to let us in, and the other from a sense of privacy. 
Instead of going to the house, n>e will turn aside into the 
garden, and tvhen roe loo}( over the laivn and its beautiful even 
carpet of uninterrupted green to the shrubbery margins, V)e ivill 
realize why it is called "the heart of the garden." It offers us 
such peace and understanding as can only come from the heart, 
whether it is nature's offering or a human gift. 

We will follow along the edges of the shrubbery bordering 
the side fence, and we will find ever so many bushes in bloom — 
lilacs, Japanese quince, the earliest spiraeas, bush honeysuclfles 
and many more coming. These bushes are at the bacf( of the 
shrubbery, and so we note that the highest-growing ones are 



v>here the border is the Tuidesi, because where It recedes Into 
lillle coves or ba^s the planting should be lower. Just as the 
land seems to be highest, where there are promontories on the 
ica coast, so there should be bolder planting on the promontories 
of the shrubberT). But the little coves! I love them best. 
There should always be a surprise in store for one in those, 
because they are the mysteries of the Utile garden — the parts 
we do not see until we come to them, and some choice flowers, 
some lovely combination, some little lure should captivate and 
hold us there, or something tempting like a berry bush or a few 
strawberry plants tucked in on the edge might add a bit of 
sweetness that pleases another sense than that of sight. 

Of course, there are tulips in bloom in the garden now, 
scattered all along the edges of the border. How much pret- 
tier they are growing in a naturalized way than in beds! I 
Ifnow every boy and girl will resolve to plant tulip bulbs this 
autumn so they may have them next spring. There are little 
colonies of daffodils just going by, and the same boys and 
girls will have these too. All this lovely lawn was starred 
with crocuses earlier, and so we wait a bit until their leaves 
ripen some before we mow it. The garden is full of the promise 
of other things, for the flower buds are swelling on so many 
shrubs and plants. 

The Irises, those garden orchids, will soon be in bloom, and 
the first of the tall varieties is the delicate silver gray Floren- 
tine. I Wonder how many of the boys and girls Jjnow that 
orris root is ground from the root of this Iris? The Colum- 
bines, too, are shooting up, and will soon give showers of 
pendulous bloom in lovely, dainty colors. The paeonies are 
full of buds and I am sure the blossoms will be extra large 
and full, for some one has dug well.rotted manure all round 
the roots for them to feed upon. Toward the bacl;, holly- 
hoc}(s are getting strength from the enriched soil to send up 
spires of gay flowers a little later. Here is a perfect love 
spot of forget-me-nots and over there on the edge I catch a 
glimpse of a cheery little mass of English daisies. 

Beyond is a fine plant of the precious old-fashioned Bleeding 
Heart. How we love the things that grew in our grand- 
mothers' gardens! and I wonder if we were to name the flowers 
today if we could give them the quaint, sweel-sounding names 
that our grandmothers and their grandmothers gave them. Let 
us cling to the old names and leave the Latin ones to the 
botanist. Here are large clumps of golden glow to brighten 
a darli corner, but I fear there are enemies at n»or^. The little 
fallen shoots tell a sad tale, and betray the presence of the 
cut-worm. The gardener must dig carefully about the roots 
hunting for the destroyers and the sentence must be "death." 
Coal ashes worlfed in about the roots are recommended, but I 
much prefer a personal encounter with the little demons. The 
boys and girls who entered in the contest should now be watch- 
ful. The pests will soon be at wor}(, for most plants have 
enemies to be guarded against, and they will soon be on the 
ground and are full of wielded energy. This, however, is to 
be borne in mind — a garden well cared for with strong, 
healthy plants has not much to fear from pests, for the ounce 
of prevention lies in faithful, constant care, loosening the soil, 
watering when necessary, and peeping out the weeds. Remem- 
ber that our plants are our garden guests and that we should 



treat them with due hospitality, receiving them upon those 
terms of formality or intimacy to T»hich their ranl( in the 
flower kingdom entitles them. 

Some little spots on the edges of the shrubbery lool( bare 
just noiv. They are the places to be filled in with annuals 
for the summer bloom, as most of the perennials give us early 
flowers, and each season should contribute its share. The 
border is such a lovely, fascinating thing! If I could not buy 
bushes and perennials this year, I would still have a border. 
I Would ma^e it all of annuals, planting the tallest things at 
the bacJf, and graduating to the tiniest dwarf Tom Thumb 
nasturtiums and sweet alyssum on the edges. I would go out 
into the country and seeJ( the wild flowers, always being careful 
to asl( the owner's permission to dig them, for many persons 
love these wild flowers in their natural places, and are not 
ungenerous when they decline to have them dug. Besides, 
the roadsides offer many treasures, and there the lives 
of the little plants are endangered so that digging them 
and taking them to a garden is really a rescue. The struggle 
for existence being lessened, the plants improve marvelously, 
so much that sometimes they are scarcely recognizable. The 
wild hemp, which grows so abundantly here, would be effective 
in the border. The English plant it for its delicate, graceful 
foliage, and there are the butterfly weed — could anything be 
more gorgeous? — the purple cone flower, the iron weed, the wild 
roses, the snaf^e root (which florists raise in greenhouses in 
winter), and the Wonderful variety of asters, besides many other 
things. 

To the boys and girls who are in the Civic League garden 
contest, I am sure time must be fairly galloping. To every 
true gardener it always gallops at this time of year, but there 
is still time to do many things, and there is still a full weet( to 
enter the contest, for it is open until May fifteenth. It is never 
too late to plant the wild things from the woods, and nothing 
could be nicer than to have one shaded spot wholly devoted to 
the Wood flowers. I feel sure that those who have wild violets 
in profusion will gladly share them with any boy or girl who 
wishes them for his or her garden. Creat clumps can be trans- 
planted without stopping their blooming if only we taJ^e them 
up carefully with a good ball of earth squeezed tightly around 
their roots. Keep them moist and shaded and water well after 





planting and Jjou n>i7/ be surprised to see luhal a showing the^ 
Tvill mal^e. In the woods about Omaha there are blue, white, 
and yellow violets, adder's tongues, Dutchman's breeches, wild 
plox, bloodroot, sometimes a dainty lady slipper for the 
hunting, and many, many more, all worth having for near 
neighbors. There are other things which live in the woods 
that would be sweet neighbors too if only we could persuade 
them to come and live in the new garden. It is for just this 
thing that we are worl(ing, mal(ing a livable place, livable for 
birds as well as ourselves. 

Cosy little seats, clever arbors and trellises and vases all 
malfe it attractive to people. A little drinl(ing pool or fountain 
would mal^e it much sought by our bird friends who are such 
excellent assistant gardeners. Little houses for them can be 
arranged in the garden, oh! so easily, and the chance of a 
tenant is very good. Jennie Wren can hardly resist an old 
tomato can if it has just the right sized door bent down to form 
a convenient little porch, the whole securely fastened in a tree 
crotch. Bluebirds sometimes come to a tin can 'home, and both 
wrens and bluebirds are exquisite musicians. A little winter and 
early spring feeding gives your lot a bird reputation for true 
hospitality. You might try it by sawing off the ends of a 
cocoanut, filling it with suet through which a twig is pushed 
for a perch, the whole to hang in a raffia swing near some 



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nimJoJv Tvhere the feasting can be enjoyed fcp the family too. 
There are so many things to add to the lure of the garden and 
I shall try to have sl^etches of a few of them to go juith this 
letter. I add drawings of quite a number of bird houses, for 
I am so very fond of the birds myself, but you should be sure 
to have a cat guard around the supporting pole or tree; other- 
wise it means a neslful of little birds fed to the cat. 

Maybe there would be places for window boxes and hanging 
basinets. They help to bring the house and lot together. An 
ordinary shallow flower pot eight or ten inches in diameter 
hung in a strong wire frame to a screw hoolf above and filled 
with plants that echo the colors of the garden below maizes a 
good substitute for the most costly basinet one can buy. 
Nasturtiums of the right colors to go with the house, say red 
for a green house, yellow for a yellow one and white for any 
color, with Wandering Jew, plain and variegated, and a 
geranium of a color to go with its neighbors; then a bit of some 
sweet-smelling thing lij^e lemon Verbena, and a little filling of 
sweet alyssum, and the thing is quite complete. I show such a 
basl(et among the appended sl^etches — (or if the basl(et is 
planted only with asparagus fern, or oxalis, or yellow myrtle, 
it Would be simple and just as pretty). If I had a very nice 
place for a vase or two, I would pic}( out one of rather simple 
form, and not too large, such as either of those sl^eiched. 




qJI colony boojt 
of (olu<^<3e4 CkQ-. 




If I could not spend the money this year for vases I v>ould 
mat(e square tubs oul of boards and paint them a pleasant 
green. In some gardens there may be a chance to have a 
pergola, so I add a sl^etch of a simple one. The pergola 



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cf/umns may te of ordinary twelve-inch drain tile, plastered 
on the outside and left while. The grape arbor in the garden 
we are visiting might easil\) be made into a little tea house, 
opening on the side toward the lawn, paving the floor with 



bric](s and giving it a Utile furniture — a table and some benches 
as the accompanying stretch suggests. 

I doubt if a sun-dial properly^ belongs on a city lot, rvhich 
has more or less the spirit of modernity. A sun-dial should 
suggest the charm of venerableness, and I believe belongs strictly 
in larger gardens where some quaintness may be given to its 
setting, and where age may seem to give it a closer l(inship 
with its surroundings and a deeper sentiment, for of all garden 
embellishments it must not be incongruous. 




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/ said in mp firsl letter that large evergreens are rarely suited 
to the small ioivn lot. There are a fen> small evergreens that 
add beauty to the shrubbery, but they are difficult to please. 
They need clean, pure air, and until Omaha is able to abolish 
the smof(e nuisance, it is better not to attempt to plant them in 
such smol^y, sooty atmosphere, for it would only enfeeble their 
growth and shorten their lives. 

I have given much space in this letter to the subject of garden 
embellishments, feeling that when carefully chosen such evi- 
dences of human life in the garden lend a charm without which 
no garden approaches completeness — though no garden should 
ever really arrive there — and if we cannot "have all of them, 
perhaps we may have some, and at any rate we are training our 
minds to conceive and our tastes to reject or select. 







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Mp personal inlerest in the little "contest gardens" has so 
grown during the writing of these n>ee^/p letters thai I hove 
quite made up ml; mind to tal^e a secret peep at each one, 
and lo hope that when I do see them their little owners will 
be busily at worl( malting them more beautiful. Yon see 
when the garden has arrived at the point where it can real'y 
call itself a garden it becomes too personal a thing for letter 
writing, so 1 shall let this letter be the last for this year. 
There are a few things still to sa\), and I shall try to gel most 
of them into this letter. 



/ am including, rviih some grading profiles, a s}(eich of 
a terraced approach and plans for a practical cat-proof hird- 
balh or pool of eas^ manufacture, also a graceful tall one that 
maji he had in the marl^et tp those who prefer to have a more, 
pretentious ornament of this sort. In our lot-improvement juor^ 
this year, it is probabl'^ quite beyond the contestant's reach to 
mal(e much change in the actual way the house is placed on 
the ground, hut I am sure rve should consider ihs question. 
It is by just such observation and study that tve educate 
ourselves. 







iheioU Kin«i or lai H 4-ou\'^ 



\anr\ 



In my second letter I told how the actual angle of the house 
with the ground might he softened and hidden by planting. 
Maybe by a little grading, matters may be bettered still further. 
For example: When your house sits up on a high terrace, 
the ground should slope away from the house to the street in 
an easy curve as shown in figure A, and not as in either figure 
B or C. It needs no argument to malfe one feel sure that the 
house should be on the highest ground, to prevent rain water 
from running toward it. It is equally true that the slopes should 
be as easy as possible, for on steep ones, grass has an unhappy 
time, and is dreadfully hard to cut. Then if it is very steep, 
Iiard rains will wash it away, so when the house is much higher 
than the street, a simple wall is far the best way to treat it, for 
it does away with all these troubles and maizes a wider space 
for a lawn, and one that is less public. Of course the problem 
Varies in difficulty as the difference in grades varies. One little 
sl^etch shows how a very high lot may be treated by planting, 
to mal(e a thing of beauty out of what is almost always an 
eyesore. 

By this time many of the seeds will have sprouted, and the 
necessity for thinning them must be given attention. All 
growing things need room, and overcrowding means exhaustion 
of the soil and hungry little, half-starved plants. By being 



careful In thinning them you can have quite a number of extra 
ones to give to some other gardener who has not been so for- 
tunate. I am sure the jury jvill want to tal^e into account all 
such acts and to hear of every case where one of the gardeners 
has helped another and so had a hand in malting two beauty 
spots instead of one; and that reminds me to suggest that each 
contestant l^eep a noteboolf with every day's doings and progress 
jotted down for use and guidance another year, for that is one 
of the best things that will come out of the season's worl(, and 
I have an idea that the prize winners will be asl(ed to write 
for the jury a simple little story of how he or she made the 
garden so beautiful that it won a prize. Maybe such little 
stories will be published in the newspapers to help the new con* 
testants next year. 

In peeping a garden record note the blooming time of each 
shrub or plant. It helps so much in arranging combinations fot 
another year. Flowers are more beautiful in their effects if 
they have a background or a foil. All go charmingly with 
green, for the eye has formed the habit of seeing things against 
a green bacI(ground. Yellow gives us sunlight and is admissible 
everywhere. Harsh yellows mql(e too much sunlight; grays 
and pale lilac lool^ well with all colors, because gray is the 
combination of all colors. Orange and blue intensify each 
other and go Well with each other; the same is true of red and 
green, yellow and purple. Let no flower in your garden be 
other than a note in a beautiful chord of color. If it is^ 
inharmonious, have the courage to drop it out. 

In training climbers, we must let them have their own way 
Very largely. It is an indulgence not to be regretted, for theit 
caprices and humors are their graces. We must give them the 
proper support in the way of loving guidance, not harsh dicta- 
tion, for if We control and restrain them too much we give 
them a stiff, self-conscious little air, as if they were out of 
place and felt it. Some are strong and sturdy, others are fine 
and delicate. We should choose the right vine for the right 
place and then let it mal^e its own little delightful efforts to 
mal(e itself at home and express the joyousness of its life. 
Many an unsightly old building may be made a thing of 
beauty with the help of vines. There are climbing roses, 
Virginia creeper, clematis, honeysucl(le, wistaria, trumpet' 
creeper, morning-glories, moon vine, gourds, and oh, so 
many more! We must not forget the wild grape. I would 
not be without its fragrance in my garden — the most exquisite 
in all nature — floating out from little unseen flowers, a 
"chastened sweetness" which some one has said "seems lil(e the 
air of heaven falling in a benediction." This easily procured 
vine has so many virtues to commend it to our favor. It grows 
quicl(ly and retains its beautiful spring-li\e green far into 
the autumn months. 

No one thing will prove such an attraction to bird neighbors 
as a safe place where they may bathe and drinl(. One little 
pool so placed as to be seen from the windows of the house 
will give the little foU^s who live there a constant example of 
the two most important uses of water, an example that most 
little "humans" can well afford to study carefully. To be 
really successful such a pool must be properly made and so 
planned as to be a safe place from the cat, who, of course. 







^41 ^ax6.ty\ \o'ool_ 




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has rights thai must he considered as ivell as limited. Our pool 
must be so made that it can be easil}) drained, cleaned and 
supplied with fresh iva/er, and must be good to looJi at, too. 
The location determined, scoop out the basin as near the shape 
of the section shown as possible, deep at the edges and with a 
high place in the middle. After shaping, carefully plaster it 
all over with a mortar of thic}( Portland cement and sand (one 
of cement to three of sand), then bend into shape strips of 



ordinary chicken ttire neiling Juilh one continaoas hand all 
around the edge, press this into the cement and stay it in 
place, letting the wire overlap everya>here ; cover this with 
two inches more of the cement mortar, finishing and brushing 
the surface as smooth and even as possible; form the round 
cup in the center about an inch deep and ten inches across; 
this comes at the highest point inhere the Tvater is most shallot), 
and is to receive from time to time a fresh layer of sod for 
a bath rug. 

By reference to the section, sizes and depths can be determ- 
ined, and the outside form can be made to best suit the place 
chosen for it. The Tvater line is a very important thing and- 
should be l(ept five inches beloii) the top of the outside rim, 
so that the birds ivill not be tempted to risl( feeding the cat 
by lighting on the rim to drinl(. One or two little pebbles 
placed on the sod and coming just above the ivater ivill provide 
a perfectly safe and dry footing to drinf( from. The pool 
should be at least three feet in its smallest diameter and may be 
as much larger as the builder chooses to mal(e it, and should 
be the home of at least tmo small fish, as a precaution against 
hatching mosquitoes. Pigmy water lilies Tvill thrive wonder- 
fully in the three-inch earth and sand bottom of this pool. We 
should consider the birds when we plant our shrubs and trees, 
and select some of those varieties which provide fruit and 
berries for the birds to feast upon. 

At first, in our garden Worl(, we musl be imitators more or 
less and borrow our ideas, but as time goes on and we acquire 
Ifnowledge through experience we should venture to be experi- 
mental. By that time we will have learned the fundamental 
principles which will l(eep us from committing very serious 
garden sins, and we must let our own individuality dominate 
a little in our gardens, because it is that personal quality that 
gives a garden its recognized, felt, though subtle charm. If you 
are told that certain plants will not grow in Nebrasl^a gardens 
and you have reason to thinlf that perhaps they might be 
coaxed to grow in yours, do not hesitate to try. Sometimes 
il is only a matter of the right exposure, or of satisfying the 
litde hunger needs of the plant, or of drainage, or of winter 
protection. 

I l(now a western garden to which a large number of 
Madonna lily bulbs were sent from an old Manor-house garden 
in the east one August (which is the proper time for planting 
them), and when they were put into the ground they had the 
required handful of sand under each. They rooted quickly 
and sent up the healthiest tufts of leaves, but that was all they 
did for five years. They were about to receive their order of 
banishment, when some little instinct, or some last effort to l^eep 
them, led the gardener, who so longed to cherish them, to clear 
the earth carefully away around each bulb without disturbing 
the roots and to fill in around each liberally with sand. Almost 
instantly they began to send up their tall wands, and at the 
proper time they burst into glorious bloom. In the height 
of all their beauty, as difficult as it was, they were cut and sent 
to a friend whose appreciation warranted whatever sacrifice 
Was made, but the gardener was seen to close her eyes when 
the did it. 

Work joyously and diligently in your garden, but loiter idly 



in ii too. Thai is ihe time vhen the inspirations come, the 
thoughts that materialize into those lovely features of poor 
garden. Tal^e a little stool out into it, move it about, and stud}f 
your garden from every point of v/em, for in that vtay it 
becomes a series of pictures. The painter's and the gardener's 
arts are closely allied. There should be the effect of natural- 
ness, care and simplicity in the l»or^ of each — the concealed 
art — "the simple truth, miscalled simplicity." While one vorJgs 
Viith paint in creating his picture, the other njorfs a>ith living 
pigments, but Rusl^in has said so beautifully that this "human 
art can only flourish where its derv is Affection: its air. Devo- 
tion; the rocJi of its roots. Patience, and its sunshine. Cod." 
It is sad to ihin\ that there are those ivho are deprived of the 
joy of garden Tvorl(, and vho never ^non> the beauty of its 
revelations and its cheer. 

The summer is coming to more than fulfill the promise of 
the spring, and then the autumn ivill come ivith a l^ind of sweet 
garden pensiveness when the garden goes to sleep and n>c 
blanl^et it where it needs it. While it rests we will malfe new 
plans, and in those winter days when you wall( menially in 
the vision of a new and more beautiful garden, though I ma^e 
my little bow to you now, I shall waH( there with you. 



qM^ 



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Q/3rici of itjelf, TtTe^ordeii, dhufj /^qIg. 
Onhim- ifiaTi ^ardj co/d , uncom/DaJj/on£7{e.; 

To jej<7}7tc a^ /ouc <77ic/ /tr/Zr ^ood coJ/l . . . 



Tl^e 1S^05^: Satisfactory Sl^rUb^ 

Almond, double flowering (Prunus Japonica). May. 

Althaea, in variefy. August and September. 

*BaTberry) in variely. 

Burning-bush (Euonymus atropurpureus). 

Chinese double rose-flowering Crab (Prunus Japonica). May. 

*Deutzia gracilis. June. 

Forsylhia, in variety. May. 

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum). May. 

Honeysucl^le, Tartarian (Lonicera Tartarica). May. 

Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora. August and September. 

*Indian Currant (Symphoricarpus vulgaris). July. 

Japanese Quince (Cydonia Japonica). May. 

Judas-tree (Cercis Canadensis). May. 

Lilac (Syringa) in variety. May. 

Rosa rugosa. Entire season. 

*Snowberry (Symphoricarpus racemosus). 

Snowball (Viburnum Opulus var. sterilis). May. 

Spiraea, callosa alba. July. 

Spiraea, callosa. July. 

Spiraea, lanceolata. June. 

Spiraea prunifolia flore plena. May. 

Syringa, Mocl(-orange (Philadelphus Coronarius). June. 

Tamarisk (Tamarix Chinensis). 

Tamarislf (Tamarix Africana). 

Weigela (Diervdla) in variety. June. 

Hed^e plants 

Japanese Barberry (Berberis Thunbergii). 
Honeysuclfle, Tartarian (Lonicera Tartarica). 
Locust, Honey (Cleditschia triachanthos). 
Mulberry, Russian. 
Osage Orange (Madura auranliaca). 
Quince, Japanese (Cydonia Japonica). 
Rosa rugosa. 



-p 



erennlals 



Asters (Michaelmas Daisies), in variety. 

Bellis perennis (English Daisy). 

Bleeding- Heart. 

Bocconia (Plume Poppy). 

Bollonia. 

Chrysanthemums in variety. 

Columbines in variety. 

Coreopsis. 

Day Lily. 

Foxglove. 

Caillardia. 

Hardy Crosses in variety. 

Hibiscus. 

Hollyhocks. 

Iris in variety. 

Larlfspurs in variety. 

*Grows well in shade. 



mi 11 is^^ 



Lilies in variety^. 

Lily of the Valley. 

Lychnis. 

Meadotv-Rue. 

M eadoro-SiDeel. 

Monarda. 

Oriental Poppy. 

Paeonies in variety. 

Phlox in variety. 

Physostegia. 

Plantain Lily. 

Plalycodon. 

Pyrethrum. 

Rudbec}{ia. 

Sedum. 

Sioeet Rocl(et. 

Smeet IVilliam. 

Veronica. 

Vinca. 

Yucca. 



l^ardy \J\ne^ 



Ampelopsis Engelmanni. 

Ampelopsis quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper). 

Atfebia quinala. 

Arislolochia Sipho (Dutchman's Pipe). 

Celastrus scandens (Bitter Sweet). 

Clematis paniculata. 

Climbing Roses — 

Crimson Rambler. 

Dorothy Perkins. Pin\. 

Wichuriana. While. 

Setigera. Rose. 
Lonicera (HoneysucJile) in variety. 
Lycium, Chinese (Matrimony Vine). 
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Pea). 
Dignonia radicans (Trumpet-creeper). 
JVistaria, both blue and white. 
Wild Crape. 

/\ntt\ial \J\ne^ 

Balloon Vine. 

Cobea Scandens. 

Gourds in variety. 

Humulus Japonicus, var. Variegatus (Japanese Hop). 

Ipomoea Noctifolia (Moon Flower). 

Ipomoea purpurea (Morning Clory). 

Nasturtiums in variety. 

Phaseolus multiflorus (Scarlet Runner Bean). 

Tropaeolum Canariense (Canary-bird Vine). 




"A Garden With House Aitached" . .Broods 

"A Plea for Hard^ Plants" /. Wilkinson Elliolt 

"A Woman's Hard}) Garden" Helena Rutherford El^ 

"Another Hardy Garden Book" Helena Rutherford Ely 

"Book of the Wild Garden" 5. W. Fitzherbert 

"Common Sense Gardens" Seiuell 

"Gardening for Beginners" E. T. Cook 

"Gardening for Pleasure" Henderson 

"Gardens of England" Charles Holme 

"Hardy Plants for Cottage Gardens" .Helen R. Albee 

"How to Lay Out a Garden" Kemp 

"How to Make a Flower Garden" 
(Collected articles published by 
Doubleday, Page & Co.) 

"Italian Gardens" C. A. Piatt 

"Landscape Gardening" Gilpin 

"Landscape Gardening" Kern 

"Landscape Gardening" Milner 

"Landscape Gardening" Parsons 

' "Little Gardens" Charles M. Skinner 

"Manual of Gardening" L. H. Bailey 

"Ornamental Gardening" Long 

"Our Gardens" Dean Hole 

"The Art of Landscape Gardening" .. Nolen 

"The Book of f^^ Cottage Garden" . .Charles Thonger 

"The English Flower Garden" W.Robinson 

"The Flower Garden" Ida D. Bennett 

"The Formal Garden in England" .. .Blomfield and Thomas 
"The Garden and Its Accessories" .. .Loring Underwood 

"The Garden Beautiful" W. Robinson 

"The Garden That I Love" Alfred Austin 

"The Garden, You and I" M. O. Wright 

"The Landscape Gardening Book" .. .Grace Tabor 

"The Rescue of an Old Place" Mary C. Robbins 

"The Seasons in a Flower Garden" . .Louise Shelton 

Most of these books are to be found at the Omaha Public 
Library. 



C^Cmitl Ibetteir ri^wst all cfeUal^^^tll bs 

'==' fiioardilf or. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



000 913 583 2 



